OBERTSHAUSEN, Germany — June 17, 2016 — With its special collection based on Tencel® lyocell fiber, LE Textile GmbH is offering a soft, supple handle, the typical look of a natural-fiber product, and outstanding comfort. These soft fabrics also offer advantages for the environment. LE Textile has focused on the environmental aspects in its use of materials and production processes.

A pioneer in the production of warp knits labeled “sustainable”

LE Textile has been known for some time on the market under its old name of Elastic Textile Europe. This company, which is based in Neukirchen, produces stretch fabrics and lace for lingerie, swimwear and sportswear. Products produced by LE Textile are also used in the medical sector and industry such as in the automotive sector. This warp knitting specialist has many years of experience and a history of dynamic development — strengths that it has brought to its association with the Lauma Fabrics Group. Since 2013, the company has belonged to this Latvian-based manufacturer, and is now known as LE Textile. The Lauma Fabrics Group fully supports the ecological ethos of its German subsidiary.

In 2006, Elastic Textile Europa, as it was then known, developed a stretch knitted fabric from eco-cotton and the elastomer, Dorlastan® Type V550, which was awarded the Cradle to Cradle® Certificate of the EPEA Internationale Umweltforschung GmbH (Environmental Protection Encouragement Agency). Triumph was involved in the subsequent processing stages. This making-up company produced the first, and so far, the only recyclable bra, which attracted the interest of the public at the Nutec trade fair in November 2008 in Frankfurt, when a film was also shown: “cradle to cradle. Nie mehr Müll – Leben ohne Abfall” (Cradle to Cradle. No More Rubbish – Life Without Waste).

2014 saw the next phase of the development, when Lenzing’s Tencel fibres were used instead of eco-cotton. The first prototype was premiered at Interfilière in Paris in July 2014, and other production-ready products were shown at the next Interfilière in January 2015. Many conversations were held at these fairs concerning the collections made from Tencel. “We were showing something completely new with these fabrics, which stimulated the interest of the visitors we met,” explained Harald Mai, the Director of Development at LE  Textile. This experienced warp knitting specialist gathered many new ideas from these conversations, which he incorporated into the further development of the Tencel collection. The results of his work are clear to see. The fabrics made from Tencel were being shown in the Show Room at the recent Fabric Start exhibition in Munich in February of this year. They were one of the reasons why many of the visitors, who were particularly interested in their environmentally friendly features, paid a visit to Lauma’s stand.

A full range of lingerie and apparel textiles

Lace raschel machines and high-speed raschel machines in the RSE series are used to produce the extremely comfortable, environmentally friendly fabrics made from Tencel fibers. Top-quality spun yarns having first-rate mechanical properties are used. These ensure that fiber fly does not cause any problems during processing.

The previously used Dorlastan Type V550 elastomer, was used to provide elasticity in the sustainably produced warp-knitted textiles. This product from Asahi Kasei was granted the Environmental Compatibility Certificate by the Hohenstein Laboratories in November 2013. A special line in the collection also contains polyamide to ensure that the fabrics can mould to the body.

The next opportunity to see and sample these innovative fabrics will be at the next Interfilière fair from 9 to 11 July in Lyon, stand number 5L41 in the FABRICS section.

Posted June 17, 2016

Source: KARL MAYER Textilmaschinenfabrik GmbH

NEW YORK CITY — June 17, 2016 — Alvanon president and global fashion business authority Ed Gribbin expressed concern over the industry’s slow reaction to the technology demands of “today’s empowered consumers” at the company’s Technology Trends Event seminar, held June 8 at NYC’s Hotel Eventi.

The seminar, attended by managers of leading brands, such as Lord & Taylor, JC Penny, Calvin Klein and Under Armour, also featured panel guests from retail specialist EDITED, information without programming supplier BeProduct and data provider Fit Analytics. Together, the panel addressed a variety of hot button fashion business issues ranging from “how to stock winners and price perfectly” to “converting more online shoppers” and “growth strategies for new markets.”

In his keynote speech, Alvanon’s Gribbin stressed the need for breaking away from outdated processes and putting technology to work in ways that enhance product development, improve fit and accelerate speed to market.

“If you think about the product development processes that we employ today, they are very similar to the practices we’ve known for the past 50 or 60 years,” Gribbin said. “We tend to think that fashion is all about change, and yet we are one of the most change resistant industries in the world.”

Gribbin’s talk went on to address the entire product development cycle, from planning and designing to producing the product itself, and then marketing and educating customers about the product so that they can make the right decision about the color, size, fit and style that best flatter them.

“Consumers are far more empowered today than even two years ago,” he noted. “The retailer once owned us, the consumer. If you wanted a piece of apparel, you had to go to a store when that store was open, look at the selection of merchandise that some merchant decided you would want to buy and, if you found something you liked, hopefully they had it in your size.

“Technology has turned that around. Today, the consumer is the center of everything. Many of our business models are broken and some beyond repair.”

Gribbin added that there are “disrupters” today who are finding different and better ways to serve the customer, and that these new ways “have everybody shaking.”

“By June of next year, Amazon will surpass Macy’s as the largest seller of clothing in the U.S.,” he said. “In 2010, they sold virtually zero clothing. So nontraditional retailers are coming in and taking market share. There’s a 57% decline in retail traffic over the past five years.”

Gribbin cited risk taking, cultivating technology-savvy talent and innovation as essential dynamics necessary to prosper in today’s rapidly changing and increasingly tech-driven fashion marketplace.

“Innovation and omni-channel engagement were key themes at this year’s World Retail Congress,” he said. “Yet less than 30% of retailers today are equipped to bring a full omni-channel experience to their customers. Too often, they don’t have RFID, they can’t track inventory, their logistics are not up to speed, and customers are getting frustrated.

“Ideas are the currency of the future of the fashion business,” he continued. “But we squash ideas. We shy away from taking risks. We are inhospitable to innovation. The disrupters are not afraid to take risks. They have a bias for action. We need to educate our people and seek out the right talent to use the technology out there or we will not be able to engage our customers on a regular basis.”

Gribbin noted that in recent years, fashion industry priorities have included cyber security and sustainability, and that speed to market currently occupies the top rung of industry leaders’ priority lists.

“Speed to market is a huge theme, but at the end of the day, they all have to do with growth and they all involve a certain amount of risk,” he says.

“If you are looking for places to grow, you can’t wait until you have all your ducks in a row before trying a new strategy. When you have a couple of facets in place, and you have the will, then test it. Experiment. Failure is okay. You can’t disrupt if you don’t fail.”

Posted June 17, 2016

Source: Alvanon